It was a new day. The morning had come but it was the only thing to really change the town of Silent Hill. The night had given way to a murky, gray soup of a dawn. Looking at the day break you could tell that it had been raining all night and the weather had spilled over to the next day. The sun was assuredly up. The star's light was obscured by the immense cloud cover that rested high above the town. Silent hill, the entire hamlet was quiet. Just like its namesake.

After the confrontation in the hospital, she had made her way back to the third floor and then subsequently out of the building. Julia knew that she had one more thing to take care of before leaving and it was something that she now had to accomplish on her own. Really on her own this time. Taking the map and her aunt's personal file, she knew that Simmons St. would lead her to her aunt's house. She trekked quietly through the streets, not having a firm grasp on where she was going and not particularly caring. She should have been worried about whatever could have been roaming the streets. But even now, after all she'd been through, that threat seemed to be an afterthought. Julia didn't even seem to care about her injuries which were, miraculously, feeling much better. Healed even.

Julia wandered through the deserted streets in a daze, lost in thought. The night's events had left her physically and emotionally drained. Between the monsters, the injuries she'd sustained, the terror and fruitless searching she'd gone through, she was ready to pack it up and call it. She had had enough. The fact of the matter was that she just didn't care anymore. She just didn't care. She hadn't even bothered to bring her weapons with her. Thinking back to several hours ago, she knew what the proverbial straw was that had broken her back. That straw was Ryan.

He was a bad man; had done horrible things. It had been the worst feeling in the world to know that her companion, the man who had helped, cared for and perhaps even loved her, had been a sick murderer all the while. That sense of under mindedness was what clawed at Julia. She couldn't escape the thoughts that forced their way into her mind. All she could think about was what the videotape had showed her. She remembered vividly as the camera had captured him while he took each and every life. And then how he had cried and wallowed in sorrow afterwards. Was that how he got his kicks? Killing people and making it look like he had tried everything he could to keep them going? And then to play off of other peoples sympathies. The thought just made her feel even more emotionally tired.

Julia walked for yards and yards before finally making it to Simmons. Going up the street she noticed the mix of residential homes as well as small businesses. The businesses were nothing special. Mostly small office buildings, insurance agencies or stationary stores. But the homes were what stood out. Most having a rustic, colonial feel to them. Like the kind of houses one would see an elderly person living in. The types of homes with long porches and high, steeple like roofs.

Simmons didn't go on for very long. Julia checked the map and refreshed her memory with the address of her aunt's home. She hoped that it would still be there and hoped that it was still her aunt's. After walking several yards up the street, she had found her aunt's home. 78995 was easy enough to find by looking at the mail boxes dotting the street. One after the other, the numbers flew past her until she found the combination that matched the information on the personal file.

Julia stopped and stood in front of the house. It was an old home. Like most of the homes in the town, it was a simple two story establishment. The windows appeared smoky, caked with years of dirt. A large porch wrapped around the front and sides of the house. Pieces of wood connected a large hand rail to the bottom of the porch, creating a fence like effect. A huge door stood near the center of the home. A metal door knocker hung from it by a single nail. The rest had since been stripped out of the wood. The house had once been painted white but was now cracking and peeling. It gave the home a decayed look. Quite fitting, given the town it rested in. The roof of the house was surprisingly in much better shape. Gray shingles lined the roof evenly and a large brick smoke stack poked out from the right side of the house. Julia could almost make out the black soot that had smeared the top of the bricks.

After everything that she had been through, Julia was tired of hesitating so she strode up to the door. The lawn was dotted with a series of cobble stones that led to the stairs of the porch. She made sure that her feet touched each of the rocks, afraid that stealing away from the path would lead to somewhere sinister. Julia's feet pounded up the stairs, the wood creaking under her weight, and she made her way to the front door not even bothering to look in through the windows. They were too filthy to see through anyway.

She reached for the door knob, turned it and pushed the door open. It was like walking into a dream. So foreign yet so familiar. For as old as the house seemed, it was remarkable how little noise there was. Ageless almost. Julia stepped inside and was greeted by a small foyer. Ahead was a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. To her right was what appeared to be a dining room and to her left a family room. The whole ground level was covered with a hard wood floor. Julia walked slowly into the family room, letting her gaze fall over everything. She wanted to take in as much as she could. She saw that the room was furnished by an old fabric couch and some brown recliners. The couch had flower patterns on it that, at one time, would have been lovely. But now it was faded and hard to tell what the original colors had once been. She passed her hand over the furniture and her hand came away dusty.

Brushing her hand on her pants, Julia looked at what else adorned the room. There was nothing really special. Just a few aged scenic paintings hung on the wall, framed by hand carved wooden frames. They too had collected much dust. Her eyes traveled to the fireplace and its mantle. The pit looked like it hadn't been used in years and the mantle was devoid of material goods save for some grounded stumps of old candles. Wax spread in small, hard puddles on the hard rock of the mantle. Julia had seen enough and walked over to the dining room, passing through the kitchen.

She only briefly glanced at the kitchen as she passed through it. All there was to note was an old sink, some open cupboards and a large steel refrigerator. Whoever had decorated the room had seen fit to cover the whole thing in an ugly yellow color. It would have been easier if they had just pissed everywhere. The effect would have been the same regardless.

Julia stepped into the dining room and ran her hand over the old table and four chairs that rested there. She wanted to be able to touch the objects in the house to get a sense of what she had forgotten. But her mind was coming up blank. She knew she had memories of the time spent in this house. However, Julia was unable to recall any of them. Was it possible that it had been so long since stepping foot into this house that the memory of it had eroded completely from her memory?

Looking behind her she noticed a china cabinet and the rows upon rows of ceramic masterpieces held within. Julia's eyes traveled over the dishes and fine tea cups that sat on rows of glass. A faint memory worked its way into her brain. She could see herself and her aunt playing tea party. They were using these very dishes to play mock parties with dolls and each other. Good memories. Fond memories. But they were memories that didn't last long.

One fact remained clear to Julia among all others. There were no photographs of family or friends in the house at all. It seemed as though her aunt hadn't had the opportunity to gather any touches of family life. Either that or she had never had the time to do it. No time to amass any pictures of relatives. The thought made Julia depressed. There was nothing that her aunt had kept that anchored her to a life outside of the desolate town.

Somewhere, Julia heard the sound of heels plodding across the hardwood floor. It was odd because Julia hadn't heard a door open or anyone come down the stairs. The sound stopped abruptly.

"Julia?" came a soft, feminine voice from behind her.

Time slowed to a stand still as the she turned around. All Julia could do was stare in disbelief at who she was looking at. It was almost like seeing one's reflection in a mirror. The resemblance couldn't have been more uncanny. The woman had dirty blond hair down to the small of her back, full colorful eyes, a beautiful complexion and rosy pink lips. She was wearing a cream colored blouse and skirt, the recognizable ensemble of a nurse's uniform of her period in time. The blouse was cut a tad low; her cleavage peaked out from the fabric of the collared shirt slightly. A red sweater framed the woman, giving her some much needed color. She had an expression of surprised bewilderment plastered onto her beautiful face.

Julia's voice caught in her throat as she took a step towards the woman, searching for the right words. She had the look and feel of the person that she had been searching for. What was startling was that she looked like she hadn't aged at all. The woman didn't look a day over twenty-seven. But she wanted to be sure. Julia had to know that this wasn't a trick or a hoax or some strange coincidence, playing on her sanity. She had to be certain that she had finally found who she was looking for. Julia took a deep breath and tried to talk, a mixture of fear, hesitation, doubt and hope all ran through her.

"A—Aunt Lisa?" she asked.

The woman's face contorted and changed. The look that danced across her face was a mix of joy and sadness all at once. The kind of expression that one only sees in those that have missed a love on for a very, very long time. She smiled a broad smile which made her eyes almost shut. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. She nodded several times to confirm her identity. Immediately Julia was overwhelmed with emotion. She brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth and nose. Breathing heavily, her eyes watered and tears ran down her face. She found that she could no longer stand and slumped to her knees on the hard wood floor. Julia broke down and sobbed tears that were no longer tears of sorrow or fear or loneliness. The tears spent now were tears of immense joy. She lost her self and was so glad that her journey had finally come to an end. So relieved that she had finally found the woman she had been looking for all these years. Nothing else mattered. Julia had succeeded. She had found her aunt.

In a few short steps, Lisa was down by her niece's side holding and comforting her. Julia stole herself away from her tears long enough to return the embrace. It wasn't a dream. Aunt Lisa was really here. She sobbed joyfully and looked up to the ceiling as if transcending the barrier and speaking to the heavens.

"Thank you. Oh God, thank you" she cried as Lisa held her.

"It's alright" her aunt said as she continued to comfort her.

For what seemed like an eternity the two just kneeled on the floor and held each other. Julia hoped that it would never end and she would never have to let go. She felt that if she did she would lose her aunt again forever. Lisa helped Julia to her feet. The girl tried to regain some semblance of self as she was led over to an old couch in the living room. Julia brushed some of the hot tears from her eyes before Lisa started to question her again.

"Look at you. You're all grown up" she said as she held her out at arms length to get a better view of her. "It's like looking into a mirror. Guess you got all the good looks from this side of the family" she half cried and half smiled. "I've missed you so much. Oh my God, it's been so long"

"You have no idea" Julia replied, rubbing her eyes and still trying to take everything in.

"What brought you here? To this town. This house? My home?" Lisa asked.

"I came looking for you. It's been years since I've seen you. I must have been at least…"

"Five? Yes, it has been a very long time" she said as she sniffed back tears

Lisa stood up from the couch and walked to the front door. She opened it and gestured Julia to follow her.

"Why don't we go for a little walk, get ourselves caught up"

Without even thinking of what could be waiting for her outside, Julia did as her aunt instructed and walked outside. Lisa shut the door behind them.

III

Lisa's "little walk" essentially translated into several trips around the block and a major detour along the lake shore. That wasn't to say Julia wasn't grateful. Quite the contrary, she was ecstatic to finally spend some time with her long lost relative. She found that the more time she spent with her aunt the more memories came flooding back to her. They talked of many things. Boys, music from their respected eras, what kind of hair products and makeup they liked to wear and were they chose to shop these days. Girl stuff. All in all, Julia was surprised to hear that she and her aunt shared many of the same tastes. Great minds really did think alike. They continued to walk, passing the lake side, the outskirts of the amusement park before finally coming back to Lisa's home.

"You're in collage? Good girl. Getting an education is the best thing you can do for yourself"

"Thanks. I try" she said sheepishly.

"How's your mother?" Lisa inquired.

"Fine" Julia replied while looking at the ground.

"Just fine?" she asked, putting her arms around her as they walked.

Julia didn't know if she wanted to bring up the subject, afraid at the feelings it might invoke in her aunt. But she had come this far. She knew she had to suck it up.

"Mom has been a bit bent out of shape ever since you broke off contact from us. She mostly keeps to herself and works at her law firm. She never really likes me bringing up the subject of you"

"And yet, you still came looking for me" she said, touched.

"I had to. I know that you loved us even if mom couldn't see it"

She was a bit hesitant about her next question.

"You do love us right?" she said and bit her lower lip.

Lisa stopped and turned to her niece so she could focus. She cupped Julia's face with her hands.

"Of course I love you and your mother"

"Then how come you took off and never spoke to us again?"

"Believe me honey, I wanted to. I wanted to so bad. But things in this town have never been the best"

"Yeah, I kinda figured that one out" she replied. "So what have you been up to all this time?"

"Working in the hospital mostly. I was set to quit and move out of this town. I never really got the chance. Things didn't go the way I wanted them to"

"What do you mean?" asked Julia.

Lisa didn't appear to hear her niece's question. She looked like she had wandered off into thought and started in on a story. It all seemed so familiar to Julia. Partially because she had lived the same story, or rather nightmare, the past night. Lisa talked of death and monsters and things that no person should ever have to live through or experience. Yet still Julia listened to her aunt's words.

"There was a man who came to this town looking for his daughter. He found me in the hospital. Scared, alone, vulnerable. Without him, I didn't think that I would be able to make it through the nightmare I was in. But…he… left me. He couldn't understand what I'd become. Even I didn't understand. I was in such denial"

"What…you'd become?" Julia said, perplexed at her aunt's words.

"When he left, I felt like I had lost everything. Things just seemed to disappear for me here and I lost myself" Lisa said, letting out a long sorrowful sigh.

Julia wasn't too sure what her aunt was going on about. From the sound of it, she had had a bad relationship with a man who had a kid from another marriage. But none of that mattered to Julia in the slightest.

"Well, you're found now. So you can come home with me. I can explain everything to my mother and we can go back to the way things were. We can be a family again."

Lisa stopped, closed her eyes and shook her head lightly

"What do you mean no?" Julia chuckled, as if her aunt was joking.

"Julia, sweetheart. I can't leave this place" she said softly.

The smile eroded from Julia's face. Time for jokes was now over.

"Please, just come home" she said in a serious tone.

"No, honey. I can't"

Julia almost breathed the word. "Why?"

"I'm…dead"

It was like she'd been punched in the stomach. Julia backed away in shocked horror. Certain things you never expect to come out of a person's mouth. It wasn't possible. She had come all this way to find her aunt and now the woman was stating that she was dead. It had to be a lie. Or at the very least and ugly, ugly truth. Dead people didn't walk around and talk to you. Dead people moved on. Julia wouldn't accept this.

"No, no, no, no, NO! That's a lie. You aren't dead! I'm talking to you right here and now! You're not dead. You don't get to say that. You're. not DEAD!" she yelled as she clutched her head, trying to block out what was happening.

"Julia! Julia dear" she said as she grabbed her niece's shoulders. "Listen to me. I am. I am dead. I was murdered a long, long time ago"

"Murdered?! Then how are you here right now? How am I talking to you? Hearing and feeling you. How is something like that happening if you're dead?"

As much as she tried to deny it, Julia should have seen it coming. It was no wonder why her aunt looked like the spitting image of a woman two or three years older than Julia herself.

"I understood a along time ago. It just took me awhile to see what was really happening. I understood why I was still alive in this town even though everyone else was dead. I was just like them, like the monsters. It's this town. There's something….special about it."

"You're lying! That isn't true. You are not a monster. You're my aunt and I love you and why the hell can't you just fucking come home?!" she said, starting to become hysterical.

"Julia, listen to me. Everything I've told you is true" She tried to make her niece focus on her. "All of it. I can't leave this place"

Julia felt nauseous. This was all killing her inside.

"Then…then…I'll stay here" she pleaded.

"No honey" Lisa said as she ran her hand through Julia's hair. Be reasonable. You have a life to live. Mine ended a long time ago. I can't have you ending yours for me"

"But you're all alone here. I can't just leave you"

"It's alright. You don't have to worry about me honey. I have someone with me now. Someone to share my pain and sorrow with. So I won't be alone anymore."

"Share your pain?" Julia questioned.

Suddenly there was the soft patter of shoes on gravel. Julia turned to face the direction that it was coming from. She squinted and saw a shape start to appear in the fog. She couldn't be sure but it almost seemed like a man. Out of the fog came something that Julia never expected to see. The scene was almost otherworldly. It was the type of thing that one sees only in a dream setting.

Coming out of the fog, like a ghost out of thin air, was Ryan. But something was different about him. His clothes were no longer the black jeans and shirt he had been wearing. They had been replaced by a set of green scrubs. Julia could see that he was clean shaven and had gotten rid of the bandana that he had been wearing. The wound to his head was completely gone as was the burn to his arm. He passed by her, glancing in her direction ever so slightly, only to come to a stop by her aunt's side.

Julia didn't know what she was feeling. It was a mix of disbelief and disgust all at once. How could he be here after she had left him in that hell? What was he doing standing next to her aunt like he knew her? Lisa looked at her niece, reading the girl's features.

"Julia, sweetheart" Lisa started, "We've both done bad things. Horrible things. We… belong together" she said, trying to find the right words. "I can't stand being alone anymore"

"How are…why…I don't under…him?" she stammered, unable to find the correct words to voice her questions. A million thoughts ran through her head

"It's alright. I made them a deal" he said, giving her a gentle smile.

"Deal? Them?"

"That's right. They could have me. But only if they'd release your aunt from the nightmare that they had forced her into"

"I don't under…"

"Julia" he interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her. "I know I'm a bad person. I did things to people that no man should ever do. I took the remaining time those people had without any concern for their well being and used it to fuel my own ill-gotten needs. What I've done was horrible and selfish and is something that I should be punished for forever. I don't expect any sympathy or acceptance of apology for the crimes I've committed"

"My aunt…was…" she said as the realization hit her. Her memory flooded back to the hospital and the horrors she had witnessed within.

Ryan walked over to her and put a hand on her face. He caressed her cheek and she looked into his eyes.

"You did this for…"

"Hey, this isn't about me. Not this time. This is about you and your aunt. I'm just along for the ride. And I accept that. It's time that I paid penance for what I did "

"Ryan…I don't…I don't know what to say" Julia said as she attempted in vain to process everything that was happening to her.

She really didn't. Julia didn't expect this from anyone. She certainly never expected it from him. But in a crazy way it made sense to her. In an insane world, it was the sanest decision.

"Don't worry about it" he said, waving her off. "You go on with your life. I've finally found what I've been looking for. I promise that your aunt will never be alone. She will always be safe. I promise you that" he smiled to her. "Don't make the same mistakes I did kiddo. Hold onto those that love you"

"Here" Lisa said as she removed her red sweater. "Make sure you give your mother my love. Do good things dear"

She stepped around behind Julia to put the garment on her shoulders before touching her once more on the face.

"My sweet little niece. You've made me so proud. You'll carry a little piece of me wherever you go"

Instantly Julia felt an extreme warmth work its way through her body. It was like an essence that had enveloped her soul and made her stronger. Both in mind, body and most important of all, spirit. Julia took a deep breath as she felt something she had never felt before. It was almost like being reborn. She turned around to face the two specters only to find emptiness behind her.

Rather than be saddened, Julia felt something entirely different. It was a sense of accomplishment, a sense that she had finished what she set out to do. It was a good feeling. Julia didn't know what she would do next. But she figured that it would be best to take the two people's words to heart. With the sun quickly coming up, Julia made the long journey back to her jeep. The road was completely repaired as if it had never been destroyed or altered in the first place. She found her car, got in, started it and left the town of Silent Hill.

"I'm coming home mom" she said to herself as she drove into the oncoming sun of the new day.

III

Several month's later.

It was a cold winter's afternoon and Julia was glad to be inside and out of the frigid weather. The colorful restaurant was a stark comparison to the look of the outside. Each table had been gleaned and the false wood grain shinned a bright sheen. Light reflect off of the black metal of the chairs enough to make her eyes squint. Patrons sat in booths or in chairs with cushions that had seen no end of abuse over the years. The TV was on and was tuned to VH1 to get some music in the air and the cooks were busy at work in the back. Smoke and steam billowed out of the open kitchen. In other words, it was a real homey environment. Just like a mom and pop restaurant should be like.

While not part of the uniform, the owners and patrons alike didn't seem to mind the red sweater she was wearing. She had been wearing it a lot lately and was thankful for the extra warmth that it provided her on the cold day. Julia had since grown her hair out a bit and it was becoming quiet long. The cooks had started to bust her chops about hair getting in the food. But she knew that they were only playing with her. Most of the regular customers thought that she looked really pretty so she decided that the change to her hair would be permanent.

It hadn't been a particularly busy day but she still found herself rushing from table to table, getting orders and refilling drinks. She stopped to rub her arms for warmth.

"Sure is a cold one today" she thought.

"Julia!" called Nathan from the kitchen, as he rang a little bell for added effect. "Table four is up!"

"Okay!" she called as she headed for the pickup window in a rush.

Perhaps too much of a rush. In her hurried state, the paper hat she was wearing flew off her head. Julia stopped and frowned at the flimsy excuse for a head dressing. Why did they insist that the female employees wear the stupid things? She didn't see the owners making the men wear them.

Julia stooped down and scooped the hat off the red tiled floor, brushed it off and reaffixed it to her head. She then strode over to the pickup window and grabbed the plate containing a club sandwich and some fries. Hot steam wafted from the plate. Taking the food over to table four, she set down the plate gently.

"Here you go" she said to the young blonde girl sitting at the table. "Anything else I can get you?"

The girl was casually reading a book and had placed it down to look at the waitress.

"No, I'm…" she trailed off as she got a good look at Julia.

The young woman sitting at the table looked at Julia, cocking her head to one side and furrowing her brow. It was almost like she was studying Julia. She had a very intricate, layered hairstyle and wore a pair of jeans with a long sleeved orange shirt. A very robust, white, hooded sweatshirt covered the garment. Julia also took note of the boots the girl was wearing. Ever since she got back home, she had been taking much more notice of things around her, unwilling to let even one detail escape her.

"Okay then…" Julia said as she started to walk to another table. "Just holler if you need anything"

The girl grabbed Julia by the arm and stared at her for a few moments. She winced a bit as an old pain rushed through her bones. Julia looked back at the girl in shock, not expecting someone to act like that.

"Do I…remind you of someone?" she asked the young girl.

The girl realized what she was doing and let go of her arm, collecting herself and acting a tad shameful.

"Yeah…yeah" the girl answered as she shook her head. "I'm sorry if I startled you" she said as she let go of Julia.

"No problem miss" she replied.

"Please" the young girl half chuckled and half smirked "I'm to young for that formal crap. Call me Cheryl"

"Will do" she smiled. "Just let me know when you want the check"

"No rush" she replied. "With weather like this who wants to go back outside anyway?"

Julia gave a short laugh, nodded to her customer and went back to serving the other patrons, suddenly feeling that her day had become a little brighter.

III

Ryan sat at the base of a tree, overlooking the lake side. He was surprisingly comfortable even with a large root sticking into his back. The sun hadn't come up just yet but it was on its way. A light breeze brushed at his face and he breathed in deep, taking a great deal of water vapor into his lungs. He stared as the water lapped against the shore in quick, little bursts; white capping ever so slightly. Nothing made a noise. Not even birds chirping. Ryan felt a strong sense of peace, a feeling that he hadn't experienced for a very long time.

Suddenly the breeze shifted and was blocked by something in the distance. Ryan could hear something coming across the grass and he turned his head towards the source of the noise.

"What are you doing here?" Lisa asked with a smile, brushing her hair back with one hand. She returned her arms, crossing them over her mid section so that she could hold each of her elbows with the opposite hand.

Ryan looked up at her and gave a quick smile.

"Just…just uh…watching the sunrise. You want to join me?" he said, pointing to the horizon.

Without saying anything Lisa came and sat down in a way that she could leaned her body up against his, her head cushioned by his chest. Lisa's head rested right underneath his chin and he could smell the sweet fragrance drifting from her hair. Like a mix of roses and wild berries. The two of them looked out over the water as the sun started to peek its way over the horizon. Rays of light made the sky take on a beautiful, hazy purple-red color. Ryan knew it wouldn't be long before it would be replaced with a brilliant orange. And then the morning would be complete.

"How do you think she's doing?" Lisa asked, using a free hand to entangle with one of Ryan's.

"Her?" he said. "I think she's doing just fine" he said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"And what about you?" Lisa asked, her eyes still fixed on the rising light.

"I think…I think I finally did the right thing" he answered as he wrapped his other arm around her, holding her tightly.

"Me too" she answered.

End.

So they say that 1 out of every 3 patients admitted to this place will die here. But some days the odds are worse than that. And on days like that, I guess the best thing you can hope for is that you took something from it. Anything. Anything at all. Even if it's just taking the time to lie on the grass and think about all the things you have left to do.

Author's note:

I figured that it would be good to end this story with a quote. I took one from the show Scrubs (all praises for it go to the writers, of course), that hopefully fits and makes sense to this story in some weird way.

I apologize for not getting this ending out on the net sooner. Finals week really kicked my ass and I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to type anything for a few days afterwards (working a double/being dead tired didn't help). But the story is done. Is it a happy ending? Maybe, maybe not. But at least by reading it you're left with the sense that the characters did the right thing and followed the path's they were supposed to. This wasn't so much of an epilogue as it was a whole other chapter. Ah well, what are you gonna do?

I thank every one who has read/reviewed this and will continue to read it for as long as it is up on If you liked this, leave a review, drop me a line or stay tuned for whatever next I have up my sleeve.

Peace.